Nick Metzger is a local business owner, a part-time DJ, and a self-described “vintage audio enthusiast.” About eight months ago, he put up an ad describing some items he was looking to buy: “Reel-to-reel players, tapes and other vintage hi-fi gear,” he remembers, though he doesn’t recall whether it was…
Before getting burned by the coronavirus pandemic, Toast and Jam was sort of sweet. Jeff Prince, who helped create more than 100 episodes of the local music show before getting laid off at the Fort Worth Weekly, describes his nearly 20 years at the alternative weekly newspaper as his greatest…
Let us blame COVID-19 for putting the Dallas music scene on permanent hold and turning Deep Ellum into a food-truck park. The pandemic continues to bring about serious destruction, but we can also still mourn for the small things we miss, like our favorite hometown bands and artists. Times like…
Trini Lopez, a music and film icon of the 1960s, died of COVID-19 complications on Tuesday. He was 83. Lopez was born in Dallas on May 13, 1937, and spent his early years in what we now call “Uptown,” then known as “Little Mexico.” “It was a Mexican and Black…
in December, we had the pleasure of witnessing Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion in her enigmatic glory at Bomb Factory. In our glowing review, we were particularly astonished at her ability to be the life of an absolute rager just 24 hours after taking a final exam and accepting a…
The Granada Theater on Lower Greenville is a piece of living art. The one-time theater and current music venue has been showcasing performances, movies and concerts since it was first built in 1946. Despite the widespread need for artistic escapism to ignore the trials of current reality, The Granada has had…
A few months ago, Katie Scott was standing outside her shop, The Groovy Coop in Downtown McKinney, when she came across the owner of another building on the square. His tenant, he told her, would soon be moving out. It was a long-standing salsa shop, “a staple,” Scott says, that…
Dallas-based Americana singer Sarah Johnson is an example of the truth behind the old saw that it’s never too late to follow one’s dream. At 32 years old, she’s set to release her debut EP, Volcano, next month and is more sure of herself than she’s ever been. Over the…
Folkwave is a far cry from the style of Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie, but this dreamy, psychedelic, contemporary cousin of the once harmonica- and acoustic guitar-driven genre is just as cathartic to listen to and has just as much to say. Take Field Division, a Nashville-bred duo who recently…
The concert industry remains lousy with economic strife during the COVID-19 pandemic, but country music mainstay Billy Bob’s Texas is reopening its doors next week anyway. There are, of course, some caveats before the Fort Worth venue can do that, namely a strict enforcement of social distancing guidelines and compliance…
Shortly after she started rapping, Brionne was invited to a cypher, an informal gathering where rappers showcase their quick wit and lyricism. This was a big opportunity for Brionne. She would be one of two women at the cypher, and she’d have a shot to prove the doubters wrong. “I’m…
Taylor Swift surprised fans when she released her latest album, folklore, with barely any preamble. Working with The National’s Aaron Dessner, Swift wrote the album during her time in quarantine at home, and it’s a strong departure from her past style. The poetic lyrics, masterful storytelling and haunting melodies of…
New Ellum might be the latest Americana act to come out of Dallas, but the band’s singer Jason Michael is no stranger to the music game. “I’ve been around Dallas as an acoustic singer,” Michael says. “I also had a blue-eyed soul project in Los Angeles and here in Dallas…
Many of us swore we’d never download TikTok, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to reconsider most of our life decisions. The video-sharing app has the ability to bring us 15 to 60 seconds of temporary joy at a time, and we’ll take all we can get right now…
Ellen Once Again’s new single and music video, “Be Okay,” provides reassurance that these anxiety-ridden times are temporary. The pop-soul singer-songwriter, whose real name is Ellen Hinton, describes her artist name as a tongue-in-cheek response to the realization that she is not the only Ellen in the entertainment industry. While…
There was a Blue Lives Matter rally at Friendship-West Baptist Church in southern Dallas last weekend. On Sunday, of all days. The church has a prominent Black Lives Matter banner displayed on its facade, and its music department has longtime ties with noted soul artists such as Shaun Martin and…
It’s not as if Dallas needed another reality TV show. From Big Rich Texas, Most Eligible Dallas to its spinoff Courtney Loves Dallas and The Real Housewives, Dallas loves the small screen, piling on one show after the next over the last decade. It appears another show is in the…
In space, a “double star” is created when two stars circle each other and appear close to one another when seen from Earth. In Dallas, when two music scene stars circle each other through collaboration, that union is called “Velvet Dos.” The band name refers to the collaborative project of…
Last month, Dallas rapper Spencer Mahurt, better known as Uncle Skitz, died of unknown causes. Before he died, he was hard at work on his debut album, 1PLAYAWAY, which will be released posthumously Friday. Over the course of the past year, he had been recording Southern-inspired trap music infused with…
The latest Dallas-based artist to join Def Jam Recordings’ ever-growing roster is rapper MAJ. After releasing his debut EP Majestic this March, MAJ is still at work making music. Earlier this month, he released an ode to cars called “Supreme.” When making music, MAJ tries to stay away from topics…
Irving rapper Coach Tev has already become a playground legend in his hometown, and he has not even turned 30. The young man with shoulder-length dreadlocks decoded the African American matrix and went from the basketball court to paid performances and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas,…
If keeping the family indoors during a pandemic wasn’t excuse enough to start introducing your kids to good music, maybe the scorching summer heat will be. It’s July, live music is all but canceled (again) and most of our kids are likely feeling a little bored right about now. If…
